Mental illnesses are significant for their debilitating effect on the individuals who suffer their manifestations. The rest of society is significantly affected since they must provide care for the individuals who are afflicted with these diseases. Mental impairments that result from such events as strokes are also significant for their adverse consequences for the individuals who suffer their debilitating effects. Memory deficits in individuals have major consequences for them and for others with whom they interact. Although much effort has been expended in an attempt to overcome these maladies, there remain large deficiencies in the ability to understand and effectively treat them. Further treatment modalities are constantly being sought. In particular, the biochemical bases for these diseases or states remains largely unknown and knowledge of these bases will foster further drug discoveries.
All of these diseases or states have a significant memory component. This is particularly true, obviously, when memory loss or abnormally poor memory is the prime or only symptom. Knowing biochemical molecules that centrally participate in memory will lead to methods and compositions that lessen memory abnormalities and will alleviate mental diseases or psychiatric dysfunctions by addressing the memory component of these diseases or dysfunctions.